Month: March 2021

At one point or another, everyone has some trouble sleeping. There can be a good amount of reasons for people to be unable to sleep, but insomnia is a big one. This article is meant to help explain the difference between actual insomnia and regular having trouble sleeping for a couple nights.

Insomnia happens when it should not be happening. If there’s nothing going on in your life that is keeping you awake for good reason, insomnia is probably the culprit. It happens when you should be able to sleep, but just can’t. Between 30 and 40 percent of Americans have some kind of insomnia every year.

Insomnia can be acute or chronic, and it depends on how often it happens and for how long it lasts. Either one can cause unbalanced moods, fatigue, and inability to concentrate. Acute insomnia happens when there are high levels of stress in the body. This lasts for one or more weeks. It is expected to go away on its own. Chronic insomnia happens three or more nights a week over a course of three or more months. It just doesn’t seem to go away easily.

It is normal to not sleep perfectly every night. Many people are going to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep when there’s something going on in their life that isn’t normal or expected. They may have house guests, be in a relationship argument, or be stressed at work. However, this isn’t actual insomnia. These things are expected to go away and you are most likely going to be sleeping well again soon.

Not sleeping enough can cause a sleep deficit. If it gets far enough, it can cause heart disease, over-eating, too much caffeine intake, diabetes, or other health problems. If you feel you have chronic insomnia, it is time to talk to your doctor. They will do a sleep study to find the cause of your insomnia and help get you treated. Hopefully you will be back to your energetic, focused and smiling self again soon.

As you get older, your body changes. Everyone seems to know that, right? However, there are are some things you will need to be paying close attention to with each passing year. Due to medical advances, they say that 65 is the new 50, and 75 is the new 60. So much for retiring early huh?

The following list should be considered if you are past or approaching age 65. Keep your attention on these things to help you live your best and most healthy life.

1. Preventative Screenings – As one of the best and easiest ways to find health problems before they get bad, preventative health screenings can save lives and increase your quality of life. Your doctor will be able to tell you which screenings are right for you. Some of them might include eye exams, cancer screenings, colonoscopy, cholesterol tests, or dental exams.

2. Changes In Blood Pressure – Aging causes our blood pressure to rise, and if it is too high, it should not be left untreated. High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause a stroke or heart attack. You can track it using a fitness tracker or a blood pressure pump. You can also have them tested at your doctors office with each visit.

3. Medication Side Effects – This one can be ignored if you don’t take medication or if you’re certain it isn’t causing any side effects. However, you should understand and look out for any side effects you have to medication. Ask your doctor if they’re normal and if they will go away. Tell your doctor all of the medications, vitamins or other supplements you take, as they could be interacting with each other.

4. Mood Changes – Whether your life has changed and caused you stress or you aren’t sure why you feel different, tell your doctor. If you feel irritable, unfocused, sleepy, anxious, or withdrawn, let them know. Try to recall when, why, where or how you feel how you feel. Your doctor can help figure out what is causing it.

5. Learn Medicare – As you age to 65 or more, it is important to start figuring out how Medicare works. This will help determine the amount and quality of care you will get. Get online or call someone to find out. Consider your overall health, your medication list, and your traveling plans.

Getting older is not always the most fun part of life, but you can make it much more healthy and enjoyable by staying on top of your healthcare.

Ever since you were little, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times. They all say “do not smoke cigarettes, and if you do start, quit as soon as possible”.

Not only does smoking hurt your overall health, but it also hurts your wallet.

Smoking can be expensive in more ways than how much it costs in money. This article will help show the benefits of quitting smoking, whether you’ve quit long ago or you’re just starting to quit.

1. You can breathe better – If you just quit smoking 8 hours ago, your body’s levels of oxygen are returning to normal and your lungs will work better. When your lungs are in the process of healing and getting rid of the stuff that’s in there, you might have some changes. You will eventually begin to cough less, find it easier to breathe, and feel like you’re getting more oxygen. However, it may be difficult before you reach the healing stage of quitting.

2. Blood pressure returns to normal – You just need 20 minutes since your last smoke to see normal blood pressure levels. The nicotine in those cigarettes increases your blood pressure and pulse. As the nicotine clears, your body will regulate again.

3. You will look better – Smoking can cause stains on your nails and teeth. It can make your skin look dull and cause your hair to break off and look bad. If you quit, your skin will glow more, your nails will look better, and your smile will be nicer and more attractive.

4. Risk of cancer decreases – Smoking increases your chance of getting cancer. Specifically, lung, bladder, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers. If you quit, you are cutting your risk in half.

5. Help your heart – This one takes a bit longer. When you have had 8 weeks of not smoking, your risk of heart disease goes down and your cholesterol levels go down. One year of quitting helps your risk of heart disease decrease as much as someone who has never smoked.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to stick with your decision to quit smoking. Some good tips for how to quit are as follows. Replacing the habit with something healthier such as chewing gum or keeping your hands busy is a good idea. Throwing away your lighters, cigarettes, and ash trays will help keep your mind and eyes off of the idea. Meditate, do yoga, or use breathing exercises to help you keep calm in stressful situations.

If you keep these benefits in mind, maybe it is a good time to quit for good!

The skin is the largest organ of the body. We moisturize it when it gets dry, we keep it clean and smelling nice, and we try to make it look good too. There is more to skincare than that, however. Take a closer look, and keep track of any changes in color, texture or appearance.

We’re lucky that we can see the skin, because it can tell us a lot about what’s going on inside of our bodies. Not only is the skin a good indication of health, but your hair and nails also can tell you a few things.

Read below to find out what your skin says about your health:

1. Dry or Itchy Skin – If it is winter and you don’t have a humidifier running, that is most likely your issue. However, if you have this condition often and without a known reason, you could have a skin condition that needs treated. Many people have eczema and don’t even know it. Ask your doctor if your skin is healthy.

2. Breakouts and Body Hair – If you are a woman, breakouts on chin or jawline or thick, fast growing body hairs on the face and body can be a cause for concern. When this occurs in women, it can be an indication there is something wrong. It could be caused by PCOS or another hormonal disorder. Ask your doctor if you experience this or ingrown hairs. If you are seeing a lot of fine white hairs, it could be a symptom of some types of cancer. Ask your doctor if you notice these things.

3. Unexpected Bruises – If your body is suddenly showing unexplained bruising, you could have a blood disorder that needs treatment. If you are taking blood thinners, this could be just a normal side effect. Ask your doctor about bruising.

4. Yellow Skin – If your skin is yellow and your eyes are yellow, you may be experiencing Hepatitis symptoms or other unrelated liver problems. The sooner you get tested, the better. If you have Hepatitis untreated for too long, it can kill your liver. Tell your doctor if your skin or eyes are yellow.

5. Sweating, Redness and Warmth – The thyroid may need checked if you experience your skin feeling warm, red palms, facial redness, or increased sweating. Check if your fingernails are growing in strange ways or seem like they’re dented. Also, keep an eye out for bulging eyes, called the thyroid stare.

There you have it, your skin may be telling you something. Pay close attention to what your skin and body says to stay healthy.

If you lead a busy life, you are most likely taking hours from your sleep or relaxation time to complete your daily tasks.

Sure, life makes it so you have to miss out on sleep sometimes. However, it is important to make enough time for sleep as often as possible.

How many of the things you do every day could be changed or removed from your schedule? Are you neglecting your health and sanity to do things for others when you don’t have time or energy? Don’t try to be a super hero, you need your rest and sleep.

Keep reading this article to find out how your health can be affected by not resting or sleeping enough.

Body weight

Poor amounts of sleep is linked to higher body weight and obesity. Also, getting less than enough sleep is linked to higher appetites and craving to eat frequently throughout the day. If you are in need of losing a few pounds, or if you’re not eating well, you should put sleep at the top of your priority list.

Heart health

Not getting enough sleep leads to heart problems and, in some cases, stroke. If you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night on average, you have an increased risk of heart disease or stroke.

Overall physical health

In addition to the things mentioned above, getting plenty of sleep helps your immune system, mental health, athletic performance, concentration, focus, inflammatory response, and your social interactions. Your relationships with others can be affected if you don’t sleep well. Researchers say that bad sleep habits can affect people’s ability to detect facial expressions, social cues, and other emotional information.

Sick days

Another thing to consider is that if your immune system crashes due to your poor sleep, how many days of work or other tasks will you have to miss out on when you get sick or get an infection? If you are skipping sleep to make it to work, that may not be a good choice. It is a safer bet to keep your immune system in good shape. That is especially in a time like this.

This is just a limited list of some reasons why everyone needs to get enough rest and sleep. It is bad for the body to be in a constant state of activity and mental stimulus.